Author's note: So my mind was producing a great deal of angst and bemoaning the many obstacles standing in the way of the Ryuuki/Shuurei pairing, and generally providing a constant stream of melodrama. It was really getting to me, so "Brain," says I, "why don't you give me something that isn't made of angstmuffins for once? Why don't you show me what it would look like if things turned out Happily Ever After?"

And much to my surprise, my brain did.

Ryuuki glanced up from the book he was reading, his eyes sharpening on the door that lead to the next chamber. The faint rustle of cloth in the stillness confirmed that he had in fact heard the main door open and shut. It was only a moment before an untidy brown-thatched head was peering around the doorway, the light from the reading candle catching in wide golden-brown eyes.

Ryuuki smiled warmly at his son and set his book aside. "What's wrong, Sei-chan? Did you have another nightmare?"

The four-year-old's head jerked up and down in a quick affirmative.

"Well, come on, then. You know what your mother says about people who hover in doorways." Ryuuki patted the bed in invitation, and the young prince's face lit up. He bounded across the room, his earlier reserve entirely disappearing, and scrambled up beside Ryuuki.

Ryuuki didn't try to stop himself from smiling as his son burrowed into the space between his arm and his body. "Where's Hahaue?" the question was muffled in Ryuuki's sleeping robe as the prince squirmed until he was right-way around.

"She had a late meeting with the advisers." Ryuuki shifted to more comfortably pillow the boy's head.

The prince paused, digesting this. "Chichiue doesn't have a meeting?"

"Chichiue was kicked out by Hahaue," Ryuuki said wryly. "Now, what was your nightmare?"

"There was a monster. A really scary one, this time." The boy's small frame quivered.

"In the wardrobe again?"

"Not in the wardrobe. It was in the mirror, I saw it moving."

"Hm, a mirror-monster. I don't think we've had one of those yet. Shall I fetch Bakuya and we'll see if we can make it come out?" Intimidation had successfully gotten rid of the wardrobe monster.

"But it's a mirror-monster. It won't be scared of Bakuya, Bakuya would be in the mirror, too."

"That's true." Ryuuki pondered. "Well, maybe we could tickle it?" He pinched one of his son's small toes gently. The threat of a good tickling had banished the under-the-bed monster who liked to grab little princes' ankles.

The boy squirmed until his foot was free. "Chichiue! You can't tickle a mirror-monster!"

"You're right, they're probably not nearly as ticklish as under-the-bed monsters and little boys. This is a tough one." Ryuuki nodded and adopted an attitude of intense thought. "I guess we'd need something that wouldn't be in the mirror if we were going to scare it away."

The young prince's face was screwed up in intense concentration, and he played absently with Ryuuki's much-larger fingers as he pondered. Then suddenly the expression was gone, replaced by one entirely too innocent to be believed. "Do you think they have stories in the mirror?"

"Stories? Well, let me think. Have you ever seen a story?"

The prince's fine hair lifted around his head with the vehemence of his negative.

"I've never seen one, either. If we can't see them, then that means they can't be in the mirror. Yes, a good story is just the thing to scare a mirror-monster away. Want to give it a try?"

"Sei-chans don't tell stories!" the boy said indignantly. "Only Chichiues and Hahaues and Ojisans tell stories!"

"Well, I don't see any Ojisans, and Hahaue's probably going to be busy for a while. Will a Chichiue-story do?"

"If it's a good story," the prince gave him a faintly suspicious look out of the corner of his eye, careful as his mother over a pile of account books.

"It would have to be a good story to scare a mirror-monster away," Ryuuki said seriously. "How about the story of Bara-hime? That's a good story, and it's my favorite."

"Bara-hime is best when Hahaue tells it! I want to hear the Baka-ou story."

"I agree, Hahaue definitely tells Bara-hime best." Ryuuki nodded. "Are you sure you want Baka-ou? I could tell you the story of the Official Who Always Got Lost, that's a funny story."

"I just heard that story yesterday. I want Baka-ou!"

"All right, all right," Ryuuki soothed. "Baka-ou it is, then."

"Baka-ou!" The prince wiggled himself slightly lower and used his grip on Ryuuki's fingers to pull his father's arm more securely around him. "Start with 'once upon a time.'"

"Once upon a time," Ryuuki started obligingly, "there was a bad king. He didn't do any work and only played in the garden all day. He didn't study at all or do anything to help his country. Really, he was a very bad king."

The four-year-old angled his head so he could focus his eyes on his father's face. "Why was he being a bad king?"

"Shh, we'll get to that. Anyway, because of the bad king, his advisers were worried. They knew that if the king continued to be bad something awful could happen to the country. There could even be a war. But how could they make the king to do his job?"

"I know, I know!" The prince wiggled in eagerness. "The king needed a teacher!"

Ryuuki nodded. "That's exactly what the advisers thought. So they asked a young lady to come to the palace and teach the king so he wouldn't be bad anymore."

The boy had already heard the story many times, but he asked anyway. "Was the lady as smart as Hahaue?"

"She was just as smart as Hahaue. And like Hahaue, she was also very kind and gentle. Even though she was a noble lady, she taught little boys and girls just like you. She could do anything: she could cook, and sew, and play the erhu. And she was also very beautiful, even though she didn't know it."

"Why did she come to the palace?"

"Well, even though she was a noble lady, her family didn't have much money, and their house was falling down. If she could make the baka-ou into a good king, her house would be fixed. Also, the noble lady had a secret dream. She wanted to become an official and help the country. But back in those days, women couldn't be officials."

"That's dumb," the judgment was delivered with all the perfect scorn of a four-year-old. "Why couldn't women be officials?"

"Sometimes the things we think are good ideas at the start actually turn out to be bad ideas in the end. That's why we have to think about laws and rules carefully and change them if they're not working, like Hahaue is now." Ryuuki patted the boy's hand. "But because the lady couldn't become an official, she decided she would help the country by teaching the baka-ou to be a good king."

The prince hid a yawn behind one hand and blinked hard, trying to convince his father that he was not, in fact, sleepy. "How did she do that?"

"Well, first she had to find the baka-ou! But it just so happens that the king loved manjuu buns. So as soon as she cooked some manjuu buns, he came right away. After that, any time she wanted to see the baka-ou all she had to do was put out a plate of manjuu buns."

"Were they as good as Hahaue's manjuu? They're the most wonderful food in the world."

"Yes, I'd say they were just like those, because the king also thought they must be the most wonderful food in the world. When the lady heard that, she was very surprised. She realized that even though he was a king, the baka-ou actually didn't know very much about his country. He had never even been outside the palace! She thought that if the king saw the way people depended on him he would become a good king. So she brought the king to see the city where she lived, and also her falling-down house."

"Was the king surprised?"

"He was, yes, very surprised. The city was completely different from the way he thought it was. And he didn't know that anyone lived in houses like that, where the rain could come in if it wanted, and where the walls were falling down. Then the kind lady told him a story, just like I'm telling you now."

"What was the story?"

"The story was from when the kind lady had been a little girl, not so much older than you are. At that time, there was a big fight in the palace over who would become the next king. But because of that, there was no king to run the country, and all the people outside the palace suffered. It was a very sad time for the lady. Many people died, and she was always afraid. What would she do if she lost her family? She would be alone, and that was the most horrible thing of all."

The prince's eyes were very round, and he anxiously clutched a handful of his father's sleeping robe in his small fist. "But that didn't happen, right?"

"No, it didn't. The baka-ou was chosen to be the king, and the country became better. But he was very sad when he heard the kind lady's story. He knew that unless he was a good king, the same thing could happen again and the lady would be unhappy and afraid. And he knew how horrible it was to be lonely, because he was also all by himself in the palace. Actually, that was the reason he was a bad king."

The boy's eyes were drooping again, and his grip had loosened. "Why was he a bad king?"

"Well, once the baka-ou had an older brother that he loved very much. His brother was gentle and strong and took care of the baka-ou. But that brother was sent away, and the king was left alone. So he thought that maybe if he was a bad king, then someone would bring his brother back again and he wouldn't be lonely anymore."

"But the baka-ou decided to become a good king anyway, right?"

Ryuuki nodded. "Yes, that's right. He didn't want the kind lady to be sad again, so he decided to become a good king and help the country. And after a while he realized that his brother wasn't so far away at all. The baka-ou's brother was inside his heart, so they could never really be separated."

"It would be nice to have a brother," the prince mumbled sleepily. "Like the baka-ou had."

"Mm, the baka-ou was very lucky, wasn't he?" Ryuuki smiled down at the small, bowed head resting against his chest. "With the kind lady to help him, he didn't have to be alone anymore. He could make friends and become a good king. Of course, he was still a baka-ou, so he often made mistakes, and even the lady would get angry at him. But for the first time, he was happy again. He wanted to do something to repay the lady for everything she'd done. So he decided he would help her achieve her dream of becoming an official."

The prince's soft breathing was deep and even in the quiet room.

"Of course, it wasn't so easy." Ryuuki laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "There were a lot of difficulties along the way. And for the kind lady to achieve her dream, she and the baka-ou had to be apart for a long time. So the baka-ou was often lonely and sad. But when he thought about how happy she was, now that she could become an official, he knew that everything was worthwhile. As long as he was patient and never gave up, one day they would be together again, and he wouldn't be lonely any more."

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Again the soft sound of the door opening and then closing alerted him, but it was followed by the soft chime of hair ornaments swaying to the accompaniment of faintly rustling silks.

Ryuuki opened his eyes just enough so that he could peer through his eyelashes. Shuurei paused briefly in the doorway, the faintness of the light from the burnt-down candle shifting the colors of her elaborate robes to darker shades and changing her into a dream-vision of some celestial being come briefly to earth. She took care to cross the room quietly to stand at the bedside, her expression tender as she reached out to smooth back the hair overhanging the young prince's face. The golden light caught in her warm brown eyes as she hesitated, then gave him the same treatment. She let her fingers linger on his cheek afterwards, feather-light, and he caught them and brought them to his lips.

Shuurei smiled. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she kept her voice soft to avoid disturbing the sleeping boy.

"No," he said, equally quiet, enjoying the opportunity to look up at her, admiring the way the folds of her hair drank in the light. "I was waiting for you. How did the meeting go?"

"We actually managed to make some progress after you left; Kouyuu will show you tomorrow." She shook her head gently, and the dangling ornaments there swayed, glinting as they caught the light. "I swear, Ryuuki, sometimes you're so stubborn you become your own worst enemy."

"There are worse traits than being stubborn," he said equitably, "and it's served me well, in its time."

"You're hopeless," Shuurei informed him firmly.

"That's why I have you," he agreed.

She shook her head. "Idiot." Her eyes went to the sleeping prince, asleep in the crook of his father's arm. "Did Sei-chan have another nightmare?"

"Monsters in the mirror," Ryuuki said seriously, then smiled down at the small head pillowed so trustingly against his side. "Although really he just wanted a story."

"And a chance to sleep in our bed." Shuurei tsked. "You shouldn't indulge him so much, Ryuuki, you're spoiling him. He needs to learn to stay in his own room."

"One more night won't hurt, surely," Ryuuki wheedled, and Shuurei laughed quietly.

"On second thought, it's his father who's the spoiled one." She stretched. "In any case, it's probably going to be another long day tomorrow, and I'm tired."

He watched her as she carefully removed the multitude of pins and combs that held her hair in place, her fingers sure despite the delicacy of the movements. Normally the task would have gone to the most senior maid assigned to the Empress, but Shuurei disliked being fussed over after a hard day's work. Certainly she was easily able to account for all the various ornaments and put them neatly back in their places, one of the main reasons for a maid to assist. Afterwards she brushed the entire length of her long hair straight, the languid, repetitive motions hypnotic and soothing. She didn't have any difficulty with unwrapping the layers of her court garb, either, and he savored the brief glimpse of her slight body as she changed to her sleeping robe.

She blushed a little when she turned and saw him watching, but had long since given up on scolding him for it. "Did you want anything, while I'm still up?"

"Nothing." Everything there was to want, he already had. Shuurei blew out the low-burning candle and climbed around him to her usual inside place in the near darkness. Ryuuki shifted the sleeping prince carefully and slid them both down under the blankets, settling the boy into the warm cave formed by his parents' bodies.

Shuurei helped him to rearrange the prince's undersized limbs. "So what story did you tell him? Bara-hime?"

"Of course not." She couldn't see his smile in the darkness, but he let her hear it in his voice. "You're the only one who can tell Bara-hime correctly. No, I told him the story of the Baka-ou."

"The Baka-ou?" He heard her smile in response. "That's a long one, isn't it?"

"He fell asleep before I got very far."

"Just like his father," that was lightly teasing. "You could never stay awake for all of Bara-hime, and that's much shorter."

"Mm," he nodded. "But I enjoyed it every time, just like Sei-chan."

"So what part did he like best?"

"Probably the part about the baka-ou liking manjuu buns." He reached out with his free hand to stroke Shuurei's side, and rested his fingers on the curve just above her hip. "Sei-chan wants a brother, like the baka-ou, but I hope it's a girl."

Shuurei let out a huff of breath in mild exasperation. "I wanted to surprise you. How did you know? I only just realized myself."

"I can tell." He couldn't really shrug, but he tried anyway. "You're . . . different. Even more beautiful, if it's possible. Like you were with Sei-chan."

The compliment unsettled her, as his compliments always did; he knew that she had mentally disregarded it by the time she spoke again. "Boy or girl, does it really matter?"

"Sei-chan's birth was very hard for you. And with one prince already, another would mean--" he stopped, overwhelmed by more memories than he could put into words.

"Shusui tells me that the first birth is always the hardest." Shuurei found his wrist in the darkness and followed it, arm to shoulder, shoulder to neck, neck to the slant of his jaw. "I'm strong, and the second will be easier. As for the rest . . . Ryuuki. No child of ours will have to grow up as you did. None of our children will ever be unwanted or unloved. And it is possible for siblings to love and care for each other, as you cared for your older brother, and he for you. It will be the same for Sei-chan and his new sibling, brother or sister."

"Shuurei . . ." he turned his face to her palm. "When you say it, I can believe it, but when I remember what happened . . . how can you be so sure?"

"Because I know you, and Sei-chan, and myself. Things aren't the same any more; they're not as they were when you and I were growing up. We've changed it, made it so that the mistakes of the past won't happen again. Don't worry so much, Ryuuki. This is a different world."

He let himself be soothed by her words and her touch. A different world. "When do you want to make the announcement?"

"Let's put it off as long as possible," Shuurei said firmly, and he smiled against her hand.

"That's not going to be easy, you know. That new under-maid of yours is definitely reporting to your uncle."

"I thought so," Shuurei groaned. "But my maids don't suspect yet, though, so-- oh, no. If you were able to tell, it won't be long before Seiran's able to tell, I'm sure. And he'll tell Otousama, and then you know what they'll do, they'll start fussing, and then pretty soon everyone else will know, too, and then-- it'll be just like it was with Sei-chan, only worse because they'll all have practice now . . ."

Ryuuki laughed. "Don't worry, Sei-chan and I will protect you from too much fussing."

"Don't you try to sound innocent, you're just as bad about fussing as the rest of them. I'm not going to be able to get anything done for months. We have to keep them from finding out for as long as possible. Ryuuki, you can't tell anyone--"

He kissed her unerringly despite the darkness. "My silence can be bought."

"Hm," he could see her expression perfectly in his mind's eye, lips pursed, eyebrows drawn in, eyes narrowed shrewdly. "For how much?"

He cradled both wife and son closer to him under the blankets and felt his chest fill with a buzzing happiness. "We can work something out."